Past exam of the astrophysics course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 1 / d

Let $q_{\mathrm{in}}$ be the photoionization rate per neutral hydrogen atom just outside the empty cavity. With an isotropic central source and no attenuation inside that cavity,The cross section is zero below threshold; this permits the lower integration limit zero. Pure hydrogen with hydrogen ionization fraction $\zeta$ has $n_{\mathrm{HI}}=n_H(1-\zeta )$ and $n_e=n_p=n_H\zeta$. Local photoionization equilibrium is thereforeDefine the dimensionless quantity ${\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}={\alpha }_r{n}_H/q_{\mathrm{in}}$. Solving the resulting quadratic equation, ${\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}{\zeta }_{\mathrm{in}}^2+{\zeta }_{\mathrm{in}}-1=0$, gives the physical rootThe rationalized form avoids numerical cancellation for small ${\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}$. Strong illumination gives ${\zeta }_{\mathrm{in}}\simeq 1-{\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}$; weak illumination gives ${\zeta }_{\mathrm{in}}\simeq {\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}^{-1/2}$.

Eliminating $Q$ with the H-alpha luminosity, $Q=2.2(4\pi D^2{F}_{\mathrm{H}\alpha }){\lambda }_{\mathrm{H}\alpha }/(hc)$, yieldsThe printed definition of $\Theta$ is inconsistent with the defined radii. The source calls $r_{\ast }$ a physical stellar radius, but its factor $(2\pi r_{\ast }D{)}^2$ gives $\Theta$ units of length to the fourth power, rather than a dimensionless value. It also omits the physically necessary cavity radius $r_{\mathrm{in}}$. For a concrete counterexample, double $r_{\mathrm{in}}$ while holding the source, $D$, and $n_H$ fixed: the incident photoionization rate falls by four, so ${\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}$ rises by four; the printed expression does not change. The root has the requested form with the corrected ${\Theta }_{\mathrm{phys}}$ above. There is no supplied relation allowing $r_{\mathrm{in}}$ to be replaced by $r_{\ast }$.